Aeroplane



Dec. 10, 1929. 5 RASMUSSEN 1,738,611

AEROPLAN'E v Filed Deo. 28, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Vim-r,

Dec. 1929.' s, RA-SMUSSEN k 1,738,611

AEROPLANE Filed Dec. 28, 192e 3 5:11ee'cs-s1wet 2 5m Ramsau. l

Dec. l0, 1929.

s. RAsMussEN AEROPLANE Filed Dec. 28, 1928 C5 Sheets-Sheet @tlm mi applicati@ mea n'ember as, reas. serial ne. assess.

IThis invention relates to `aeronautics and more particularly to a machine of the heavier than air type sustained in flight by the speed at which 1t moves'.

An object of the invention is to provide an aeroplane with an improved type of wings which are rotatably mountedand are not only ver effective in supporting the machine in iii t but also cause the machine to travel at a a igher rate of speed when in flight by reducing friction and allow it to land safely while traveling at a very low speed.

Another object of the invention is to further reduce the area of reduced pressure.,

s This is accomplished by the whirling motion of the air produced 'above the wings by the rotary motion of the circular wings.

Another object of the invention is to prevent danger of a side slip when making a c turn or accidentally gettin'I into a side slip when' fl ing straight ahea Anot er object of the invention is to provide the rotary wings with auxiliary blades ordinarily retracted therein but allowed to be released by the aviator and moved outwardly from the peripheries of the wings and rotate the same when acted upon by air currents if the engine fails and a forced lan u .1. g is necessar v e nother'object. of the invention is to provide an improved'arrangement of ailerons.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by 5 the appended claims.

f The invention'is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved.- aeroplane, 3 Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof,

the central portion of a wing and operating means associated therewith.

The aeroplane illustrated in the accompanying drawings is in some respects of a conventional construction and includes a fuselage 55 `1 'having a motor and propeller at its front as shown at 2 and 3, and at its rear provided with the usual rudder 4 and stabilizers 5.

Tubular casings -6 pro'ect from opposite sides of the fuselage 1 h rods leading from housings 7 at the outer en s of the casings and are secured to the fuselage. Drive shafts 8 extend through the casings 6 with their inner end portions extending into ears 9 35 the fusela e and carrying bevelled which mes with a gear 10 upon the s aft of an engine 11 mounted in the fuselage rearwardly of the main engine 2. At their outer ends the shafts 8 carry bevelled gears 12y meshing with gears 13 of posts 14 journaled 70 yhub 16 of each wing radiate ribs 17 joined by w ich are braced b @o hoops 18- intermediate their end and at their o outer ends by a bordering hoop or band 19 which defines the entering edge ofthe wing when the fabric 20 is applied to the frame, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Cross strips 21 extend between the ribs 17 and these strips 85 carry guides serving to retain springs 23 in their pro er positions about stems 24 which pro'ect rom the inner ends of auxiliary bla es 25 which are slidably received in the wings and disposed in angular relation to the entering edges thereof as shown in Figures 2, 3 and'6.' Since the s rings bear against the inner strips 21 and abutments 26 carried by the stems 24 they serv'e to urge the blades 25- towards the extended position shown in g5 Figure 5, but under normal conditions these blades are to be retracted. In order to releasably secure the blades retracted the inner yends of the stems are formed with hooks 27 for engagement by latchesl 28 pivoted in 10o openings in the hub le these are hooks 2 by springs 2Q..

lnorder to release the latches l provide each post with an axially eatending bore in which is received a shaft and shaft has a head 3l its upper and a base or foot 32 at its lower end., sEllie head engages beneath the inner ends ci the latches and the foot rests upon a cani 33 carried by a rocker 3dso that when the rocker is rotated through the medium of a pull cord titi the shalt vvill be elevated and through the medium ci its head move the latches to release the stems The pull cords extend through tubes 36 into the fuselage Where they be reached by the pilot when necessaryn When the aeroplane is inuse it is propelled forwardly by its engine 2 and propeller 3 in the usual mannera yllie motorll imparts rotary motion to the drive shafts 8 from which rotary motionis imparted to the posts "i4 and Wings l5., lt'vvill thus be seen that the Wings will rotate in a horizontal planeinstead of y being rigid with the fuselage. Since the wings rotate, friction Will be reduced and the speed of the machine increased. This 'will cause it to. take ed' after a very short run and in addition increase its speed when flight. The rotation of the Wings also creates a force similar to a gyroscope which causes the machine to be very steady in dight and eliminates danger of its tilting and getting into a side slip. lt should also be noted that since the rotating Wings steady the machine when in Hight it can land when traveling at a low ratei of speed without danger of being damage l If for any reason the motor 11 should fail to operate properly and cease to impart rotation to the wings, the. pilot draws upon the .pull cord 35 thereby causing the shafts 30 to be elevated and move the latches to release the stems so that the springs 23 may force the blades 25 outwardly to the extended position shown in Figure 5. When so extended the air' currents created by the moving machine will act against the extended blades and cause the Wings to continue their rotary mo tion. Even if both motors should fail the Wings may be caused to rotate in this manner and a forced landing safely made.

When makin a turn or executing a roll or the like while ying it is necessary to tilt the machine transversely in order to bank it at a turn or cause it to turn about its longitudinal axis and this is usually carried out through the means of ailerons consisting of small planes pivotall mounted with respect to the main wings. ilerons of the 4usual type cannot be used with rotating wings and I have therefore provided ailerons `in the form of' snall lanes or wings 37, loosely mounted u on t e casings 6 and adapted to be tilted a out the same.` Any means desired may be f arancia employed whereby the aviator may tilt the ailerons or Wings l? simultaneously but opposite directions;

lVhat l claim is;

L in aeroplane comprising fuselage, dislolike Wings at opposite sides ci said inse lage each mounted Ito rotate in a horiaontal plane, main driving means for imparting rol tary motion to said Wings, and normally inno tive radially disposed means 4carried by said Wings adapted to be acted upon by cnr rents and rotate the 'Wings when t e driving means is inoperativee 93., An aeroplane comprising a fuselage, diskdiire Wings at opposite sides oit said inse lagefeach mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane, main driving means for im arting" irotary motion to said Wings, means 'or impart ing rotation to said Wings including a source of power and transmitting means leading te the Wings, and auxiliary means for rotating said wings carried thereby and movable into and out oi an operative position.

3. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage, disk-like Wings at opposite sides oi said fuselage each mounted to rotate lin a horizontal plane, main driving means for imparting rotary motion to said Wings, means forimpa'rting rotation to said Win of power and transmitting means leading to the Wings, and auxiliary means for rotating said wings carried thereby and slidable trom a retracted lposition within the Wings to an extended position for use.

1i. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage,

disk-like Wings at opposite sides of said fuselage each mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane, main driving means for imparting rotary motion to said wlngs, means for imparting rotation to said Wings including a source of power and transmitting means leading to the Wings, and auxiliary means for rotating said Wings, including blades slidable rad1ally from a retracted position to an extendedvposition for use, stems extending fromthe in-y ner ends of said blades, means to urge said blades outwardly, and means to engage said' including a source Sli llI

lll

planes journaled in said supports to rotatably mount the planes, a motor in said fuselage, and shafts rotated from said motor and 4 extending from o posite sides ofthe fuselage and connecte with said posts to impart rotation to the posts and planes and radiallymovable auxiliary driving means, normally inactive. 4 i

6. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage, supports extending from opposite sides of said fuselage, circular planes at opposite sides of said fuselage, posts atthe centers of said planes journaled in 'said supports to rotatably mount the planes, a motor in said fuselage, means for transmitting motion from the motor to said posts to rotate the posts and planes, normally inactive but radiall movable when desired, and means carried y said planes whereby air currents may eiect rotation of the planes when the motor is out of operation.

7. An aeroplane comprising a'fuselage, supports extendlng from opposite sides of said fuselage, circular planes at opposite sidesof n said fuselage, posts at the centers of said planes journaled in said supports to rotatably mount the planes, a motor in said fuselage, means for transmitting motion from the motor to said posts to rotate the posts and planes, blades slidably mounted in said planes, stems extending from the inner ends of said blades, springs acting upon said stems to urge the blades outwardly, latches' for engaging said stems and releasably holding the blades retracted, and' means for moving said latches out of engagement with the stems whereby the blades may move outwardly and project radially from the peripheries of the planes.

8. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage, supports extending from opposite sides of said fuselage, housings at the outer ends of said supports, circular planes over said supports at opposite sides of said fuselage, posts depending from the centers of said planes and journalled in said housings, means for imparting rotary motiony to said posts to rotate the planes, hollow heads at the upper ends of said posts within the planes, blades slidable radially in the planes, stems extending from the inner ends of said blades and having hooks at their ends, springs urging said blades outwardly, latches for engaging the hooked ends of said stems to hold the blades retracted pivoted to said heads and projectin`g into the same rotary A rods extruding through said posts and having heads at their upper ends to engage the inner ends o f said r latches and their lower end projecting from the posts, and means to move the rods up` wardly and release said latches including 5o cams turnably mountedbelow the rods and contacting therewith and actuating lines exending through said support into the fuseage.

9. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage and disk-like wings, mounted at opposite sides of the fuselage, means to rotate said wings in 'a horizontal plane, and auxiliary means radially-movable for rotating said wings when the driving means becomes inoperative. In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

SVERRE RASMUSSEN. 

